Liberty Christian to have ribbon-cutting

Liberty Christian School officials said
construction on the campus’ fine arts expansion is nearing completion. A
ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the expansion is scheduled for Aug. 20.

This is the latest addition to open on
the campus in two months.

In May, the private school had a grand
opening for its academic and athletic expansion, which includes classrooms, a
100-seat meeting room, a wrestling room, a weight and conditioning room,
coaches’ offices, a kitchen and locker rooms.

The 14,000-square-foot fine arts
addition expands the school’s commons area and will include a choir and
ensemble room, two art rooms, a black box theater, storage space and a
multipurpose lunch and meeting room equipped with roundtables, benches for up
to 200 students and an area where they can plug in personal computers. The
project also includes improvements to the current band hall, lower and middle
school drama and choir classrooms and music lab, according to school officials.

The academic, athletic and fine arts
expansions — projects that have been about two years in the works, according to
school officials — were constructed to accommodate current and future growth.
The Liberty Christian School board approved about $5 million for the projects,
which is being funded by donors including Liberty families, according to school
officials.

Kimberley Kevlin, director of campus
planning and design, said that prior to the expansion, groups like choir had to
“make do” with the space available and split into two classes.

Malyn Porter, who will enter her senior
year this month, said she’s excited and looks forward to the fine arts
expansion opening.

Porter, a theater student, said that
when students prepared for two plays at once for one-act competition, she and
her peers had to alternate days to rehearse and prepare because they had only
the one stage. But now there’s more space.

“It makes us feel a little more
professional, and it’s exciting,” she said.

On the horizon for Liberty are plans for
a new upper school and a center for worship and performing arts. According to
the school’s recent newsletter, the capital campaign totals $20.9 million, and
as of June, $8.8 million had been committed to the project.

Michelle Simms, the school’s director of
advertising and marketing, said it’s been neat to see growth increase on the
campus. While other private schools are struggling in this economy, Liberty has
maintained enrollment at about 95 percent, and in the new school year, student
enrollment is projected to total 1,500, she said.

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